A few decades ago, there was a period when the Music Academy and V. Raghavan
were synonymous," said Sangita Kalanidhi M. Balamuralikrishna at the valedictory
function of the centenary celebrations of Dr. V. Raghavan, on 22nd August
at the Dakshinamurti Auditorium in Chennai. The event was organised by the
Dr. V. Raghavan Centre for Performing Arts, Chennai.
The programme appropriately started with 'Gana Manjari' – a musical rendering
of Sanskrit verses by Carnatic vocalist V. Sumithra with veena accompaniment
by R. Ramani. Many of them were V. Raghavan's own compositions. This was
followed by the valediction, in which three famous personalities from three
cultural fields participated. They were Balamuralikrishna, Prof. Radhavallabh
Tripathi, Vice Chancellor, Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi, and Dr.
S. Revati, Prof. Sanskrit Dept., and Campus Director, Madras University.
Sanskrit scholar Prof. M. Narasimhachary, a brilliant student of the late
V. Raghavan, and former Head, Dept. of Vaishnavism, Madras University, welcomed
the august gathering in his scholarly Sanskrit and impeccable English. Dr.
V. Kameshwari, Director, Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute, read out
felicitation messages and greetings from eminent personalities like Dr.
Kapila Vatsyayan, Dr. Karan Singh, Dr. Ram Niwas Mirdha, Chairman of the
Central Sangeet Natak Akademi, and Prof. Kutumba Sastry of Sampurnananda
University.
MATTAVILASA PRAHASANA
An enjoyable Sanskrit farce -
S. JANAKI
Samskrita Ranga celebrated its golden jubilee by staging Mattavilasa
Prahasana on 22nd August in Chennai as part of the centenary celebrations
of its founder Dr. V. Raghavan.
Mattavilasa Prahasana (A Farce of Drunken Sport) is a Sanskrit play
in the farcical satire mode. It is one of the best one act plays written
by scholar King Mahendra Vikrama Pallava.
Mattavilasa Prahasana depicts some of the follies and foibles of the
Brahmin Kapalika, Pasupata Saivite sects, Buddhists and Jainism. The
setting of the play is Kanchipuram, the capital city of the Pallava
kingdom in the seventh century. The cast of characters consists of a
sootradhara, a Kapalika mendicant Satyasoma, his female partner Devasoma,
a Buddhist monk called Nagasena, Pasupata, and Unmatta or madman. The
play revolves around the drunken antics of Satyasoma and Devasoma, and
the loss and recovery of their skull-bowl.
Natyarangam, Narada Gana Sabha Trust's dance wing, took a new direction
in its 13th annual Bharatanatyam festival, "Bharatham Mahabhaaratham",
by incorporating soloists from other performing arts genres. Every night
from 27th August to 2nd September, rasika-s were treated to two presentations,
each on a character from Vyasa’s Mahabharata.
Bheeshma
V.P. Dhananjayan presented "Bheeshmacharya", on the Mahabharata's grandfather
figure. Major incidents from Bheeshma's life were narrated through flashbacks
by his grief-stricken mother, Ganga. She describes her son's death at
the hands of the effeminate Sikhandi during the Kurukshetra War, then
segues into his birth, upbringing, and "unthinkable" vow that earns
him the name "Bheeshma" from the gods. Dhananjayan used subtle and neat
satvika abhinaya in this cohesive presentation.
But not much was revealed about Bheeshma's own thoughts perhaps because
of the text's limitations. Still Dhananjayan managed to channel Bheeshma's
psyche a few times. During his last hour, Bheeshma's inherent chauvinism
is revealed when he claims Arjuna's arrows had mortally wounded him
while knowing his wounds were Sikhandi’s work.
"Are there any pre-requisites for this Summer School?" I asked anxiously.
Apart from having heard a few CDs, my knowledge of dhrupad was practically
nil.
"No, just turn up, " said the coordinator of the Asian Music Circuit
Summer School 2009. I swallowed.
"I learn Carnatic music. Would that help?"
"Don't worry. Udayji is an experienced teacher and handles students
at all levels."
Well, he was going to need all the experience at his command.
"Parking?"
“There is ample at the Kingston Hill University campus.”
Too sample. Not being much of a map reader, the trouble was finding
the right one. The sign for Coombehurst Studio took me directly into
a wood. Perhaps we were to be taught the nuances of raga and tala under
the boughs of some ancient oak. Indeed, although I intended to drive
down every morning, this was a residential school, a true “Gurukula
vaasa” experience.
I strolled down the path for a while, pausing to watch the morning sun
slithering off grassy slopes and dripping from glistening rooftops.
There was still time before I needed to panic.
BOMBAY JAYASHRI
A strange and wonderful journey
- V. RAMNARAYAN
Not perhaps since the days of Veena S. Balachandar has a leading
Carnatic musician traversed a path as unusual. Bombay Jayashri was
all of 28 when she began a truly full-fledged performing career
in Carnatic music. Though introduced in early childhood to Carnatic
music, thanks to both her parents being music teachers, she grew
up in cosmopolitan Bombay, reveling in the singing of bhajan-s and
film music at functions small and large all over Maharashtra and
Gujarat, learning Hindustani classical music, 'geet', film songs,
and a variety of ‘light music’ genres. Through childhood and college,
she almost kept her training in Carnatic music a secret. She had
a ball singing jingles in several languages extolling the wonderful
attributes of Bournvita, Meal maker and Rexona, solo or in duets.
Throughout this period, she was also learning Carnatic music from
the rigorous school of T.R. Balamani, a renowned teacher of Bombay,
who also taught the likes of Shankar Mahadevan. She loved the film
songs of Rafi, Lata and Asha, and continues unabashedly to do so,
despite stardom in Carnatic music. Mehdi Hasan and Farida Khanum
are equally her favourites. She attributes her pitch perfect voice
to her training in Hindustani music and her soulful articulation
to her eclectic musical background. Her assimilation of such a varied
range of musical ideas has ensured the success of her theme-based
albums like Vaatsalyam featuring lullabies, or Agni showcasing Subramania
Bharati’s fiery lyrics. She sees no conflict between her concert
career and the film songs she has sung over the years.
She rarely performs in Chennai these days. Her December season concerts
here are now limited to seven – to be reduced by one more next year,
according to an insider. Sruti suddham and a contemplative quality
mark her singing. A noticeable feature of her concerts is the superior
aesthetics of her singing. In the past - especially after she resurfaced
on the kutcheri platform after a four-year hiatus spent in drinking
deep of the Lalgudi bani of music under violin maestro Jayaraman’s
tutelage – she was accused of sweet, rather than deep music, crooning,
and even singing “like the violin” in a soft voice. Today her stillness
and sonorous voice draw comparisons with M.S. Subbulakshmi, though
the majestic voice sometimes seems to lose its vitality as the concert
progresses. Her stage presence is dignity personified. No flailing
about of arms, no facial mannerisms mar her style, though by her
own admission, it needed a young teacher back in her teens to make
her look into the mirror for her to achieve such poise. She often
seems completely lost in the sheer beauty of the raga music she
presents. She is firmly convinced that the musician can transmit
her own deep-felt emotions to the rasika in the audience, no matter
what expectation brought him there in the first place.
A Sruti tribute on his tenth death anniversary with inputs from Ashish
Khokar.
Mohan Khokar was a pioneering dance scholar-author-historian who also
“collected” dance and created a rare dance archive called after him.
He was a path-setting university professor and among India’s first national-level
arts administrators.
Born in Quetta (now in Pakistan), on 30th December 1924 to Sardar Bhagat
Ram Khokhar, who served as Commissioner of Defence in northern, undivided
India, under British rule, Mohan was the last of seven surviving children.
Pampered by his mother, Lilavati, he grew up wherever his father’s postings
took him. He was only ten when an earthquake on 31st May 1935 destroyed
Quetta. The family then moved to Lahore. The overnight loss of many
friends and relatives made Mohan a very quiet person from then on. He
understood the value and vagaries of life early on.
In Lahore, he studied at the Foreman’s Christian College, run by American
missionaries. The foundation laid in English and the discipline inculcated
by the missionaries there remained his prized possessions.
During those years, ‘nautch’ was the only form of dance seen in north
India. Mohan learnt a Punjab gharana or variant of Kathak from Pandit
Pyarelal. Occasionally, big names of Indian dance - Ram Gopal and Uday
Shankar – would visit Lahore all through the 1940s.
Gudalur – the town the first initial in GNB stood for – is close to Terazhunur, some 19 kilometers from Mayavaram. Speaking of Gudalur, GNB’s brother Balakrishnan said, “Five girls followed Anna. I came next. All of us were born at Gudalur, but I only remember a single day at Gudalur, as father had moved to Triplicane after Anna was born. Both father and mother, who were related to each other, were from Gudalur. My mother’s brother lived in Gudalur, so it meant Amma went to that town everytime she had a baby for her confinement. Though we were all born at Gudalur, our family deity was the Sasta of Ananda Tandavapuram near Mayavaram that Anna referred to in his composition in Todi as mamakuleswaram Sastaram….”
Much more is known about Narayanaswami Iyer – of GNB’s second initial – than about Gudalur. Narayanaswami Iyer spent his childhood days at Gudalur and Tiruvidaimarudur. Later, he went to Kumbakonam for his undergraduate studies and earned a B.A. degree. Armed with a certificate from the Teachers College at Saidapet, Chennai, he went back to Kumbakonam, where he was a schoolteacher for a few years.
sruti.com
A few decades ago, there was a period when the Music Academy and V. Raghavan
were synonymous," said Sangita Kalanidhi M. Balamuralikrishna at the valedictory
function of the centenary celebrations of Dr. V. Raghavan, on 22nd August
at the Dakshinamurti Auditorium in Chennai. The event was organised by the
Dr. V. Raghavan Centre for Performing Arts, Chennai. 
Samskrita Ranga celebrated its golden jubilee by staging Mattavilasa
Prahasana on 22nd August in Chennai as part of the centenary celebrations
of its founder Dr. V. Raghavan. 
Natyarangam, Narada Gana Sabha Trust's dance wing, took a new direction
in its 13th annual Bharatanatyam festival, "Bharatham Mahabhaaratham",
by incorporating soloists from other performing arts genres. Every night
from 27th August to 2nd September, rasika-s were treated to two presentations,
each on a character from Vyasa’s Mahabharata. 
"Are there any pre-requisites for this Summer School?" I asked anxiously.
Apart from having heard a few CDs, my knowledge of dhrupad was practically
nil.
Not perhaps since the days of Veena S. Balachandar has a leading
Carnatic musician traversed a path as unusual. Bombay Jayashri was
all of 28 when she began a truly full-fledged performing career
in Carnatic music. Though introduced in early childhood to Carnatic
music, thanks to both her parents being music teachers, she grew
up in cosmopolitan Bombay, reveling in the singing of bhajan-s and
film music at functions small and large all over Maharashtra and
Gujarat, learning Hindustani classical music, 'geet', film songs,
and a variety of ‘light music’ genres. Through childhood and college,
she almost kept her training in Carnatic music a secret. She had
a ball singing jingles in several languages extolling the wonderful
attributes of Bournvita, Meal maker and Rexona, solo or in duets.
Throughout this period, she was also learning Carnatic music from
the rigorous school of T.R. Balamani, a renowned teacher of Bombay,
who also taught the likes of Shankar Mahadevan. She loved the film
songs of Rafi, Lata and Asha, and continues unabashedly to do so,
despite stardom in Carnatic music. Mehdi Hasan and Farida Khanum
are equally her favourites. She attributes her pitch perfect voice
to her training in Hindustani music and her soulful articulation
to her eclectic musical background. Her assimilation of such a varied
range of musical ideas has ensured the success of her theme-based
albums like Vaatsalyam featuring lullabies, or Agni showcasing Subramania
Bharati’s fiery lyrics. She sees no conflict between her concert
career and the film songs she has sung over the years. 
She rarely performs in Chennai these days. Her December season concerts
here are now limited to seven – to be reduced by one more next year,
according to an insider. Sruti suddham and a contemplative quality
mark her singing. A noticeable feature of her concerts is the superior
aesthetics of her singing. In the past - especially after she resurfaced
on the kutcheri platform after a four-year hiatus spent in drinking
deep of the Lalgudi bani of music under violin maestro Jayaraman’s
tutelage – she was accused of sweet, rather than deep music, crooning,
and even singing “like the violin” in a soft voice. Today her stillness
and sonorous voice draw comparisons with M.S. Subbulakshmi, though
the majestic voice sometimes seems to lose its vitality as the concert
progresses. Her stage presence is dignity personified. No flailing
about of arms, no facial mannerisms mar her style, though by her
own admission, it needed a young teacher back in her teens to make
her look into the mirror for her to achieve such poise. She often
seems completely lost in the sheer beauty of the raga music she
presents. She is firmly convinced that the musician can transmit
her own deep-felt emotions to the rasika in the audience, no matter
what expectation brought him there in the first place. 
A Sruti tribute on his tenth death anniversary with inputs from Ashish
Khokar. 
Gudalur – the town the first initial in GNB stood for – is close to Terazhunur, some 19 kilometers from Mayavaram. Speaking of Gudalur, GNB’s brother Balakrishnan said, “Five girls followed Anna. I came next. All of us were born at Gudalur, but I only remember a single day at Gudalur, as father had moved to Triplicane after Anna was born. Both father and mother, who were related to each other, were from Gudalur. My mother’s brother lived in Gudalur, so it meant Amma went to that town everytime she had a baby for her confinement. Though we were all born at Gudalur, our family deity was the Sasta of Ananda Tandavapuram near Mayavaram that Anna referred to in his composition in Todi as mamakuleswaram Sastaram….”